Curtis Bunch received the following email from the brother of Charles Byrd on July 14th, 2009:

Dear Curtis and Paula, 

This is likely an unusual request.  I'm writing for my brother.  He is 85 years old and not at all familiar with computers.  He is 15 years older than me.  My name is Rusty.  His name is Charles Byrd. 

My brother served on the USS Bunch during WWII.  He enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 years old.  He was 17 years old on December 7th, 1941, and he was serving onboard the USS California at Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack.  He missed being killed by a bomb by a few feet.  He also had some shrapnel in his chest that was never treated. His primary injury was to his lower back from the blast.  He has had pain in his back from that time until now.  The shrapnel wound was small and he managed to get through the rest of the war without being treated by a doctor.  I know it sounds strange, but it happened.  He was discharged in 1946.  He got married and went to work for the railroad company.  He worked for the railroad company for 30 plus years and retired.  He now lives in Poplarville, Mississippi.  His wife is bedridden and he has one son at home who is handicapped. 

He went into the water when the California capsized and swam to Ford Island.  He joined a group and they went to work and were gradually integrated back into different ships. 

This past year he decided to make a claim with the Veterans Administration for his back and the shrapnel.  He did it because he felt that there was a principle involved, not for money.  The VA declared him 50 percent disabled.  The disability ratings were not based on his back injury or the shrapnel.  He has appealed and wants to get 100 percent disability in order to be satisfied.  He has very little, if anything, to gain  by being declared 100 percent disabled by the VA; he simply is stubborn and wants to make his point. 

I am writing to you because he asked me to.  He served onboard the USS Bunch after Pearl Harbor.  He believes that some of his shipmates on the Bunch will be able to corroborate his injury.  They will be able to verify his pain and suffering while serving on the Bunch.  He has tried and failed to contact any shipmates to this point.  He is thinking that perhaps there will be some men attending the reunion that served on the Bunch during that time.  He wants to know if you can help him contact anyone who served on the ship during those years. 

If you are able to help him, please let me know via e-mail, or call him directly at his home.  His telephone number is (601) 795-2797. 

I appreciate any help you can provide him.  He will be very grateful also. 

Sincerely,
Rusty